Jeffco Schools Head To Recount After 377-Vote Margin On Measure 5A

Jefferson County residents will wait for a recount before knowing if their property taxes will rise to support local schools. As of Thursday, Measure 5A has a margin of only 377 votes. That narrow gap separates a pass from a fail for the $73 million funding package. The Jefferson County School Board requested a total of $133 million through two distinct property tax increases. Measure 5B, which would have generated $60 million for infrastructure, currently appears likely to fail.

If voters approve Measure 5A, property owners will see higher tax bills. The district plans to use the revenue to compensate and retain teachers and staff. Devin Mills serves as chair of the Financial Advisory and Audit Committee. He also has two children who attend schools in the district. Mills said he expected the results to be final by 8 p.m. on election night. Instead, the process has extended into a recount.

"If 5A doesn't pass, the impacts to our community and to my kids are going to just be huge," Mills said. Not all voters share his optimism for the tax increase. Chuck Adams, a resident of Golden, expressed concern about the financial burden on households. Adams noted that families are already dealing with rising costs for taxes, insurance, groceries, and utilities.

School administrators are currently on standby while the recount proceeds. Michelle Applegate, the president of the Jeffco Board of Education, stated that the uncertainty directly impacts budget planning for the coming year. Interim Superintendent Rob Stein described the community response to the ballot measures as mixed. He said he heard strong support for the schools but also noticed confusion among voters regarding how school finance works.

"I heard overwhelming support for our schools. I also heard confusion because school finance and school funding is confusing," Stein said. Stein indicated that if Measure 5A fails and Measure 5B also fails, the district faces minimum budget reductions of $13 million. The district is not facing the financial cut in isolation. Statewide Proposition NN passed, directing revenue generated above the TABOR spending cap to K-12 education.

The outcome of the recount will determine the specific tax impact for Jefferson County property owners. The $73 million from Measure 5A would specifically target staff compensation and retention. The $60 million from Measure 5B was allocated for infrastructure needs. With Measure 5B likely to fail, the fate of Measure 5A becomes the deciding factor for the district's immediate financial stability. The board will review the final vote counts to confirm the result.